This invention relates to oil burner installations generally, and in particular to a method and apparatus for insuring that the oil supplied from a storage tank to a burner in such an installation is sediment-free, in order to preclude clogging of the burner orifices.
When the oil storage tank of such a system is refilled, the incoming oil agitates the oil within the tank so that sediment at the bottom of the tank is stirred up and placed in suspension. If the oil pump in such a system is operated while the storage tank is being refilled, or too soon after the storage tank has been refilled, suspended sediment may be drawn into the fuel line to the burner. Upon reaching the burner, this sediment may cause clogging of the burner orifices with resultant malfunction of the system.
Prior art known to the Applicant includes the use of time delays in oil and gas burner installations for control and safety functions. Examples include automatic lighting and extinction, and the provision of delayed switching action, in gas burners. Also known to the prior art relating to oil burner installations is the use of a time delay switch to cut off the fuel for a predetermined interval to prevent accumulation of fuel in the furnace in the event of failure of an automatic flame detector. The use of solid-state timing elements in these and similar applications is also known.